Component gable vent

ABSTRACT

A vent is formed from vent panels which are configured with one or more slats. The custom-sized gable vent is formed by cutting sections of the slatted vent panel. The sections of slatted vent panel interfit to provide the desired height of the vent. Trim channel is cut and sized to surround the vent. The structure is assembled by fastening the individual components to the wall of a building. The trim channels can be either J channel, when the vent is intended to abut another surface, or T channel, when vinyl siding abuts the vent. This provides the builder the flexibility to form a gable vent of a desired size and shape at the job site. Further, the slatted vent panels are designed to connect directly to siding. This allows the slatted vent panels to be attached to the wall of a building in the same manner as siding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gable vents are used on the walls of buildings generally beneath the pinnacle of the roof line. There are many types of gable vents, formed from various materials such as metal, plastic and wood. There are also a variety of different shapes and sizes. Many of these are specifically designed for use with vinyl siding. Such structures are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,076,321 and 5,673,526. There are various types of siding such as aluminum and vinyl siding, as well as interlocking siding panels such as shaker panels.

Prior art vents are generally factory assembled. A non-standard sized vent, generally, must be specially ordered. Such specially ordered vents are very expensive. It also takes extra time to order and receive these. They can slow down a remodeling job.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is premised on the realization that gable vents can be formed and assembled on site utilizing pre-formed interlocking vent panels in combination with trim channels. More particularly the trim channels can be J channels and used where the vent abuts another surface, or can be T channels and used where the vent abuts siding. The vent can have any shape or size and would be manufactured at the job site to prevent any delay. The vent panels of the present invention can also be attached to a building, replacing a portion of the siding and connected directly to lower, as well as upper, runs of siding.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building wall incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken at lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the vent of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vent panel according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a J channel for use in the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a T channel for use in the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate view of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view partially broken away taken at lines 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in the Figures, a gable vent 10 is affixed to a building wall 12. The gable vent 10 includes slatted panels 14 surrounded by sections of J channel 16 or, in certain cases, T channel 18.

The slatted panels 14, which can be formed in the same manner as vinyl siding, include an upper edge 26 and a lower edge 28. The upper edge 26 includes a hook or channel 30 and an upper nail flange 32. The slatted panels 14 include a plurality of slat members 34 a, 34 b, 34 c. A variety of different cross sections can be manufactured. The slat members include an outwardly sloped portion 36, an outer planar portion 38 which leads to an inwardly extended solid portion 40. Each slat member 34 further includes an upwardly extended portion 42 followed by an inwardly extended foraminous portion 44 and a downwardly extended innermost foraminous portion 46 which is co-planar with the nail flange 32 and lies along a plane which is the rearmost portion of the slatted panels 14.

Below foraminous portion 46 is the second slat member 34 b. As shown in FIG. 4, there are three slat members per panel. The number of slat members is a matter of choice.

The slatted panels 14 are configured to be directly connectable to any bottom lock siding, with the bottom most inwardly extending foraminous surface 48 terminating in an upwardly extended edge 50. As shown in FIG. 8, this upwardly extended edge 50 will interlock with exterior siding. To interlock with vinyl siding, edge 50 includes an inward bend or ridge 51, as shown in FIG. 2. This upwardly extended edge 50 is also designed to interfit with the channel 30 of the next lower adjacent panel 49. The upper and lower edges can be modified to interlock with any type of interlocking exterior siding.

These panels allow airflow through the foraminous sections 44 and 46, however water is blocked by the solid portions of the slats. As shown solid portion 40 is below the level of the lowest row of holes 45 in portion 46. The inwardly extended solid portion 40 can also include a drain hole 41, if desired.

In the assembled vent 10 the slatted panels 14 are surrounded by the J channel 16 and/or the T channel 18 sections, depending upon the design. The J channels 16 include a nail flange 60, a side portion 62 and a return portion 64, which terminates in a coved edge 68. The T channels 18 include first and second opposed nail flanges 74 and 76 separated by a vertical central wall 78. Extended from the central wall is a first return portion 80 leading to a coved edge 82 and a second return portion 84 leading to a second coved edge 86.

To form a gable vent incorporating the slatted panels 14, T channels 18, and J channels 16, one must cut channels 18, 16 and vent panels 14 to the desired shape and size. As shown in FIG. 3, the vent 10 includes two upper J channel sections 92 and 94 which abut the soffit 95 of the building. These sections 92 and 94, of course, are formed with mitered cuts 96. As shown, the remaining portion of the trim frame is formed from three T channel sections 98, 100 and 102, again formed with mitered cuts 96 to establish a continuous frame. The central portion of the gable vent 10 includes upper and lower vent panels 106 and 104. In this embodiment, only two vent panels 14 are shown. If needed, one to four, or more, vent panels 14 could be employed in a single vent. The vent panels 14 are cut, as shown, to the desired shape.

The individual sections are then assembled. The frame members, the two J channels 92 and 94, and the three T channels 98, 100, and 102, must be nailed in position first by extending nails or other fasteners through the nailing flanges of the respective trim members. Then, the lower vent panels 104 is placed in position and nailed or fastened to the wall by fasteners which extend through the vent panels 14 into any support structure. The support structure may be plywood along the peripheral edges where the vent panel 14 is located, or may be two-by-four structures located behind where the vent 10 will be located. The second, or upper, vent panel 106 is then slid into position with the lower edge 28 fitting within the channel 30 of the upper edge 26 of the vent panel 104. A fastener (not shown) can be extended at an angle through the uppermost edge of the vent panel, again into some supporting wood structure behind the vent structure.

Siding 110 is then attached to the side wall 12 in a typical manner, with edges 111 of the siding 110 fitting within the outer channel 103 of the T channels 98, 100 and 102 forming a finished edge. This will complete the siding on wall 12. If T channels are not employed, the entire vent can be surrounded by J channel sections and separate J channels can be used where siding abuts the vent.

The slotted panels 14 are designed to allow airflow through the holes in sections 44 and 46 of the panel. Furthermore, due to the fact that portions 40 and 42 of the slatted member extends below the holes in sections 44 and 46, water is prevented from passing into the building.

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the slatted panels 14 are fastened to the side of the wall 12 in the same manner as siding. As shown in this drawing, lower courses of siding 110 which do not include vent holes are positioned on the building followed by upper courses of the slatted panel 14. Because the upper and lower edges 26 and 28 of the slatted panels 14 are configured to interfit with corresponding upper and lower edges 114 and 116 of siding, the slatted panels 14 are installed in the same manner as the siding and are attached directly to adjacent courses of siding. Since both the upper and lower edges 26 and 28 of panels 14 are identical to the upper and lower edges 114 and 116 of siding, the panels 14 can be positioned anywhere siding is installed. As shown in FIG. 7 the siding 110 is below the panels 14. As shown in FIG. 9, the siding 110 can also be above the slatted panels 14, if desired. Again, if used with different interlocking siding, such as shaker panels, the upper and lower edges would be formed to mate the selected siding.

The slatted panels 14 themselves can generally be extruded vinyl panels which are, again, formed in the same manner as vinyl siding. Likewise the T channels 16 and J channels 18 are extruded sections formed in the same manner as typical J channels from the same vinyl material. Alternately, these can all be formed from aluminum or other plastics.

Thus, the present invention enables one to assemble a custom-sized and shaped gable vent on site. The formed gable vent will have the appearance of a pre-formed gable vent, but should not be nearly as expensive as a factory-assembled, custom, gable vent. Because the vent is formed on site, there would be no delay. Further, the present invention allows one to provide venting on any area where vinyl siding could be used.

This has been a description of the present invention along with the preferred method of practicing the present invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims, WHEREIN 

1. A method of forming a vent comprising: cutting at least one slatted foraminous panel to form a desired shape; cutting a plurality of trim members sized to surround at least a portion of said desired shape; and attaching said trim members to a building wall to form a trim frame; positioning said at least one slatted panel within said trim frame.
 2. The method claimed in claim 1 further comprising abutting siding against one or more of said trim members and fastening said siding to said building wall.
 3. The method claimed in claim 1 comprising cutting a plurality of slatted panels and interfitting an upper portion of a lower panel with a lower portion of an upper panel to form a combined panel of said desired shape.
 4. A vent panel having upper and lower edges configured to mate with vinyl siding, said upper edge having a nail flange and a channel below said nail flange, said lower edge having an upturned edge, said vent panels having a configuration establishing a plurality of solid slatted portions separated by foraminous portions and wherein said solid slatted portions are configured to prevent water flow through said foraminous portions.
 5. A composite wall vent comprising a plurality of interlocking vent panels; said vent panels including a lower C-shaped member and an upper edge having a nail flange and a channel adapted to receive a C-shaped member of an adjacent panel; slat members between upper and lower edges of said panel having solid outer portions and lower portions and an inwardly extended portion, said inwardly extended portion having a plurality of vent holes; said vent panels surrounded by a plurality of separate channeled trim sections.
 6. The vent claimed in claim 5 wherein a solid portion of said slatted portion extends below said vent holes.
 7. The vent claimed in claim 6 wherein at least one of said trim members is a T channel.
 8. The vent claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one of said trim members is a J channel.
 9. A kit adapted to be formed into a gable vent comprising a plurality of sections of slatted panels, said sections having upper and lower interfitting edges and a section of trim channel having a length effective to circumscribe a portion of said slatted vent panels.
 10. A building wall comprising a plurality of courses of siding; an uppermost course of siding having an upper edge; at least one course of the vent panel claimed in claim 4 wherein the lower edge of said vent panel having a C shaped portion engaged in a channel in said upper edge of said uppermost course of siding. 